I get a PSA test each year when I see the doctor for my annual physical.  (Test determines, to some extent, how likely it is that you could have or develop prostate cancer.)

Each year my PSA level has gone up incrementally, which my doctor says is not unusual and not a worry, however this year it shot up quite a bit, enough to have him have me schedule a visit with a urologist.  (a rite of passage, I guess)

In the meantime a person I know who has had their own prostate issues tells me that if you had any sexual activity within 5 days of a PSA test, that alone could account for the increase.   I ask the urologist about this and he confirms this.  In fact, I had had a session with a regular just the day before they did the test.

I had my  PSA retested after a week interval between sex and sure enough, it was back down to where it should have been.

I would have thought that the doctors could have known and inquired rather than letting me sweat bullets for a week, to say nothing of the cost and inconvenience of scheduling the urologist visit.

I agree the doctor could have asked. I assume your doctor knows you are sexually active. Mine knows I am. I have been through your scenario a couple of times though I hadn't had sex just prior to the test so I needed to get it checked. Now, in my case my urologist in a very attractive young female. She is welcome to stick her finger up my ass any time she wants. Yes, I'm a pervert and all the ladies I see know it, actually they like it.

The same thing happened with my PSA test early this year. She simply said, "Let's re-test before I send you to the urologist." Sure enough, the second test came back normal. No bullets were sweat.
The problem for you is, she's about a two-hour drive from you.

Been there.. My PSA went way up too.. and it was taken soon after having sex with an ATF... then another test.. and it was fine. No visit to a specialist though.  Yes I was thinking... this is it...its over.. it wasn't..

Recently a provider gave me a rather vigorous prostate massage during BBBJ, which felt great.  It had been a long time since I’d had a prostate massage and that one was probably the most intense I’d ever had. A day or so later I noticed my semen was pinkish, as if there were blood in it. I was a bit alarmed and did some research online, which noted one reason for blood in semen was due to a prostate biopsy. They didn’t say anything about vigorous prostate massage (medical web sites don’t tend to get into such things), but I thought maybe it could have similar impact as from a biopsy.  A couple of days later there was still a pink tinge, but much less than before.  A few days after that it was back to normal.

but I honestly can't remember the last time I went an entire week without sex, so I guess I'm screwed. lol

This is useful info for my next doctor's appointment with a PSA screening.

"However, based on the current research data we have available, we don't recommend any patient be screened for prostate cancer with PSA." -- Margot Savoy, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the Commission on Health of the Public and Science

If she/they don't want us to use the PSA screening test, what do the prefer? Nothing? Sorry but that sounds unbelievably stupid. For example, one of my relatives just used the PSA test to catch his prostate cancer at a very early stage. Since treatment of prostate cancer very much depends on the patient's age and how advanced the cancer is, it's true physicians often will recommend no treatment at all. Because prostate cancer progresses very slowly and is a classic case of "you'll die with it but not OF it." Still, knowledge is power and I can't see ANY reason not to have the test. Just don't over-react to a spike in PSA.

Of course you are much more likely to shoot yourself in the foot anyhow. lol

 
Read it for yourself. I don't claim to have any expertise on the subject, nor have I ever had, nor do I expect to have a PSA test personally any time soon.  As long as I can drink a six pack of beer without having to piss even once I am not worried about my prostate, not to mention I am NOT giving up sex for an entire week for anyone. No fucking way.  

 
AAR here is the link, argue with the doctors. I know you would rather argue than get laid anyhow.

From my interpretation, early diagnosis doesn't really save many people ... and false positives cause unnecessary treatment that is itself harmful. On net the feel the screening causes more problems than it prevents.

It confirmed what I suspected, especially for the group over 70 (because they'll "die with it not of it.")
That said, in your case you are wrong to avoid a PSA test because it's a simple blood test that's generally done with a broad number of other tests performed prior to your annual physical. It costs virtually nothing, so why avoid it?
Can I assume you also don't have your doc manually check your prostate during the exam because you consider that "ass play?" Hell, you probably don't have an exam at all.
Your motto should be "ignorance is bliss."
PS: Who said you'd have to give up sex for an entire week? More like a couple of days. Never mind, just keep pulling things out of your ass as usual, your article being an unusual exception.

I'm 2 months from reaching 80 and am going through the decision making process about what to do with my prostate cancer that was recently diagnosed.  I will spare y'all the medical gobbledegook, but it is sobering.  The good news is that I'm still having FUN with the ladies.